


A Court of Answered Dreams

by highladyofdreams



Category: A Court of Thorns and Roses Series - Sarah J. Maas
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-07-11
Updated: 2017-07-18
Packaged: 2018-11-30 17:59:43
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 10,734
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11468745
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/highladyofdreams/pseuds/highladyofdreams
Summary: War has passed, but what does this entail for The Court of Dreams? One would believe that the war's end might finally bring forth their dreams that they had always wanted to answer, the ones the stars listened to through the night and never dared expose to anybody. An eternity is a long time to try to get their answers, but how long would everybody have to wait until everything was set at last? Until the Court of Dreams had their answered dreams.**SPOILERS: This piece is written as a post-ACOWAR, the third book in the series.**





	1. Feyre

**Author's Note:**

> The characters within this text are by no means owned by me, but fully a courtesy of the wonderful Sarah J. Maas, as they stem from her series, A Court of Thorns and Roses. Everything here is purely just an imaginative outlook about what might be awaiting our favorites' futures after the war.

Elain’s flitting about would never cease to amaze me, her graceful steps making her almost appear as though she was flying just above the ground. She wore a bright smile on her face as she finished the touches on the bouquet of flowers set on the table of the sitting room. It took everything in me to stand my ground when her eyes flashed up to me, a small question of approval in the gleam of her eyes.

Even if I hated the arrangement, I couldn’t find it in me to tell her.

 _If_ I hated it. I certainly didn’t.

Ever since I whispered in the early moments of dawn to Rhysand about being serious about holding the party to celebrate the mating bond, Elain had taken to planning immediately after she was told. I didn’t have the heart to tell her that I didn’t want it to be as grand as a Starfall party, but brief clips of the conversations she had with the committee assembled to plan only proved she would have dismissed me in the same breath if I did try to talk her out of it. In truth, I had enjoyed seeing her drag Nesta along with my court’s favorite Illyrian warriors in tow. 

“Favorite? I’m hurt, truly.”

The voice reached me before the scent of my mate could, both tugging a smile at the corner of my lips when mingled together. I cast a glance over my shoulder to where Rhys stood lazily against the doorframe. _Don’t be cocky_ , I warned him. The talons ran gently against my shield, but were quickly swatted away. A warm laugh echoed over the bridge of the bond. 

 _You know you love it, Feyre darling_.

I didn’t dare respond, my attention turned back to my sister as her eyes danced between me and my mate. I relaxed my shoulders from where I had unknowingly stood taller for the sake of the mental banter. I think Elain knew immediately what we must have said, a small giggle sounding from her.

“You two have eternity together.” Yet another presence holding the space, but far less of a surprise as Mor entered. Her arms were across her chest, eyes glared at her cousin. “You would think you’d learn soon how to get a room.” 

I coughed to muster the laugh as she maintained a seriousness to her voice, a brief sparkle in her eye giving away that the serious tone hadn’t been completely void of humor. _She has a point._  

 _I know. She doesn’t need to know that I know, though_.

Rhys’s lips took on a smirk, his hand pressed gently to my back. In a way I’ve only seen him do a few times, his head cocked to the side with feigned curiosity in his eyes. My gaze went to Elain, desperate to see if I could catch her line of sight enough to plead silently for help out of the situation I knew would progress.

Too many times had I been caught in a bickering between Mor and my mate. There were times that I had to side with Mor, leaving Rhys to brood in our room until I joined him and apologized in a whisper; other times I would side with my mate, gaining a glare from Mor before she stormed off. I prayed to Mother above that this would lead to neither scenario. 

Unfortunately, Elain was too busy with her flowers when he made his retort. 

“Well, cousin, we most certainly could get a room,” he purred. He ducked his head close to my neck, moving the hair back over my shoulder. The warm breath near my skin had me shooting him curses through the bond, just as he pressed his lips to my neck to hide the smile. “Do tell which one you would prefer we took?” His lips were gone from me as soon as they had come, and I tried not to whimper at the lack of them. “As I recall, I do own every room here. I guess it’s just a matter of _which_ one.”

When I could bring myself from focusing too much on his lips, I finally noticed what had brought my mate to tease her so much. The look of true and utter disgust that twisted Mor’s facial features confused me, until explanation of the images he had showed Mor poured into my conscious through the bond.

I nearly choked at the jokingly sexual images he had placed in her mind. I nearly turned myself into him to hide the blush that threatened to show on the surface. I cleared my throat and looked to my friend, my apology written all over my face. I focused in on her mind, gently brushing against the wall she had built to whisper something to her.

A smirk that mirrored my mate’s found her expression shortly after, the sparkle returning to her eyes. I withheld my amusement at the glee she found in being told I’d tie him down and torture him just for sending her the images. A fitting punishment for making our friend suffer at the hand of our mated bond.

“Clean the sheets after, and I’m okay with wherever,” Mor finally said, earning herself a howl laugh from her cousin, still by my side. Although she initially appeared to attempt to hold it together to maintain her seriousness, a laugh rippled through her soon after my mate’s.

It felt good to finally be home, without a looming threat. Just us. Just the Court of Dreams.

* * *

I couldn’t help the groan that escaped past my lips when I beheld my reflection in the mirror. It was no secret that I had adored the dresses Rhys typically laid out for me, but this one felt tacky. The teal of the sparkles on the lace when it caught the light made me flinch. The layered skirt of the dress hardly allowed movement outside of short steps. It would be a miracle if I didn’t trip over my own two feet in the dress.

“Is there truly any reason to pout?” Styled in his typical sleek black attire, Rhysand’s lips had been pressed into a flat line. Through the bond, I could tell that it was to keep him from laughing at the outfit.

I turned away from the mirror – an action that felt as though it took hours to complete – to feign comfort as I narrowed my eyes at him. “Is there truly any reason that I shouldn’t be matching my mate during a celebration of just that? The bond?”

Despite the playfulness in his eyes, a flicker of joy and pride flashed at the remembrance of the celebration’s true nature. The violet eyes that burned with a passion just below the surface scanned over the dress before he, too, pouted. Few were the times when I got to see my mate look so vulnerable outside of sleep, but my knees nearly buckled below me at the innocence the pout appeared to show. Innocence so frequently tainted by his years of experience in the darkness.

“I suppose we could go with something more…” Rhys stood from where he had been propped on the bed. My breath hitched in my throat when his forefinger showed a claw. As if he noticed my realization at the same time, the claw found the fabric at the front of the dress, ripping through seamlessly. “Fitting for my High Lady.”

Although every piece of me had roared in that moment to dismiss the rest of the evenings activities, the exposure of my chest while the rest of my had remained in the dress tethered me to reality. I rolled my eyes, though glad to be rid of such a hideously uncomfortable dress. Before I could give any input on the choice of attire to follow, a lighter dress had taken shape on my figure, the other dress nowhere to be seen.

“A white dress,” he murmured, fingers daring to find their place on my waist, as if I was suddenly too delicate for even my mate to touch. “For my friend, who shone bright before the King to save my family.” A kiss pressed to the top of my head, and I found my eyes drift close. “For my love, who saved me from the dark pit that was myself.” A kiss between my brows. “For my High Lady, who shines brighter than the stars of our court with everything she does.” A kiss on my high cheek. I leaned closer to his touch, a soft hum in the back of my throat as I breathed in only his smell. “For my mate… the light of my life in a world that threatens to darken everyday. My Queen of the Stars.”

Had I not been certain somebody would pull us away from this moment to begin the festivities at any second, I could have sworn that my burning eyes would play traitor to me. Instead, I closed the space between our lips from where he hovered, arms snaking around his neck to tug him closer to me.

There were moments when our kisses and embraces were wholly animalistic, the clawed scars on his back serving as a reminder of that. This, however, was no such thing. This was gentle, it was loving. It wasn’t a kiss that braced us for sex to follow, but just a calm reminder of who we were to each other. He was my mate, and I was his. We had eternity ahead, and there was no stopping the force of us together.

 _You’re mine_ , I sent through the bond when our lips from the kiss, my forehead rested against his chest. 

His chin found a spot on the top of my head, embedded among my hair. His calm breath blew on my hair, and I focused on the lightness of it on my hair. I sighed into his black tunic, and I could have sworn I felt his smile form with his chin still on me. 

 _I will always be yours_.


	2. Nesta

I slipped away from the planning committee at the first chance of escape. I had enjoyed the extensive time with my sister, but Cauldron boil me if I ever said I enjoyed seeing so many snobby High Fae. I had seen them fend well without me around to drag them down, so I snuck away to Elain’s garden for some fresh air.

I had just settled into the grass – the sharp blades remarkably soft against my back – when the sun’s light was blocked from my view. My eyes snapped open, turning my head to glare at the light thief. When I spotted Cassian looming over me, the glare lightened. I kept my eyes narrowed before I shifted my attention back to the sky, eyes shut again. 

“You’re blocking my light.” I didn’t deign to give him more of a greeting than that.

A chuckle found the Illyrian companion, forcing me to open my eyes once again. I propped myself up on my elbows, a brow raised in his direction. I opened my mouth to speak before he plopped down next to me in the grass. I shot a glance at the hand he had laid close to mine. Almost too close for comfort, and yet not close enough. When I looked at him again, the smirk on his face said enough about what he must have considered was going on in my head. I sat up fully to remove the distance completely from his hand. 

“You didn’t come to training today,” he said after silence had encompassed us. His eyes were trained on the sky when he spoke, as if oddly interested in a cloud passing by. 

I merely shrugged. “I was certain that it wasn’t happening after yesterday.”

Yesterday. Training since the war had been lightheartedly done on his part, mostly because he was so sure of himself that it wouldn’t come in hand anytime soon. For me, it was the opposite. I had taken to following everything he taught me precisely – almost too precisely. Yesterday, I had been able to pin him down in spite of his Illyrian strength handing him an advantage. I considered for too long that evening if it had been something he did on purpose to give me confidence, or if I had genuinely been able to pin him. When he wouldn’t dare even glance in my direction at dinner, I had my answer.

It seemed, however, that it wasn’t stopping Cassian. He snorted at my comment, waving a dismissive hand. “One pin isn’t going to ruin my whole ego, Nes.”

I flinched at the nickname. I had told him before I didn’t like it, but I didn’t have the energy to correct him every time. He must have sensed it because a smile curled on his lips when he noticed my distaste on my face. He cocked his head to the side, looking solely at me now. 

“Are you ready for tonight?”

Playfulness had flickered in his eyes a moment ago, but the statement had been serious. Rarely had he jumped so quickly with the others, been so ready to just listen instead of joke at something somebody said. It almost was enough for me to fully enjoy his company. Almost.

I tucked my arms around me, the first sign of vulnerability I dared to show in a while. I didn’t have to give my answer. He just knew. I don’t know how he knew so easily, but his wing curled around me at the same time his arm wrapped around my shoulder. There used to be a time that I was disgusted just because he touched me, but I was glad the wall within broke down with him. I let my head fall onto his shoulder while I curled into his side.

“You don’t have to speak to anyone,” he murmured, his hand stroking my back gently. “If anyone gives you a hard time, you have every right to snap at them.” I could feel the smile on his lips at that as he pressed a kiss to the top of my head. “Your sister is our High Lady, and you’re the one that killed that bastard King. If people say the wrong thing, maybe they’ll suffer at Rhys’s hand just for disturbing his court.” I couldn’t help but roll my eyes at the idea of everybody snapping from a misspoken comment. “Find me tonight if you need an escape from all the people. I can fly you over to the townhouse so you don’t have to stay.”

I nodded, my head lifting so I could look at him. Despite the bickering between us, there had always been small moments where I appreciated everything about him, everything he was to me. It hadn’t been long after his wings healed since the mating bond had snapped into place, and both of us had not taken it well. Cassian was ready to snap Azriel’s head off for just stepping too close to me while I was with Elain, and I had been ready to jump at Mor whenever she spoke ill of him in my company. In the end, he was my mate, and I was his.

“You know, you can be sweet when you decide not to be insufferable all the time.”

Just like that, the seriousness washed from his face as a laugh rattled through him.

The warmth returned to this features as he leaned to press a kiss between my brows. In company, my face would twist into feigned disgust. In private, I let the lazy smile find my features as he leaned his forehead against mine. He dipped his head to briefly press a kiss to the smile, only forcing the smile to spread more.

“I don’t suppose my mate would care to go inside and help her sister instead of stay with her favorite person, would she?” Cassian’s lips had formed into a small pout, his wing tugging me closer to him.

I laughed when his other arm snaked around my waist to pull me into his lap. My head hung so I could look down at him while I sat up on my knees, one on either side of his legs. Seeing his hazel eyes staring up at me in the curtain of my hair made me reconsider my answer for a heartbeat. I cupped his face in my hands, my lips finding his for just a moment. A moment, however, was all he needed to pull me down with him as he laid back.

I looked at him through narrowed eyes as I braced myself, a hand on either side of his head. I sighed casually as if just now making my decision. The hands that had found my hips were strong, but gentle against me – an invitation and a goodbye. I smiled down at my Illyrian warrior, shaking my head.

“Unfortunately for you,” I said, pushing myself off of him to stand up and brush off my dress. “I believe my sister is waiting for me for last minute touches before everything is moved to the House of Wind.”

Cassian simply smiled up at me, amusement speckling his features. I turned to leave, but the whistle as I walked away stopped me for a second. I threw a vulgar gesture over my shoulder at it, receiving a howling laugh behind me.

I didn’t bother to hide my smile as I joined my sister.


	3. Cassian

I had just landed on the balcony of the townhouse when the smile tugged on my lips. Even from hundreds of feet away, her scent carried to me. The smell of a wood fire with cinnamon complimenting the warmth, almost too much to resist. I gave a brief greeting to the others, catching the end of a Rhys and Mor standoff. If it hadn’t been for the girl in the garden calling to me, I would have stayed to watch the result. However, I couldn’t bring myself to even stop.

My arms were crossed over my chest when I spotted her. My mate. She was laying the grass, looking peaceful for once. Too often had I found her worried about the group, escaping to the garden for some kind of tug back to reality. It nearly broke my heart to see that she genuinely looked at ease finally, even if it were for a brief moment.

I approached her slowly, cataloging how the sun’s light was captured by her hair, giving her a glow stronger than anything the Day Court could produce. My throat bobbed when I stood close enough to her. Those steel grey eyes snapped open to look at me at once, and it took everything in my power not to fall to her then. Instead, I straightened up with a lopsided grin, brow raised down at the fierceness of a person below me.

“You’re blocking my light.”

I chuckled, sinking down to sit beside her. I cast a sidelong glance when she ripped her hand away from near me, a brief smirk on my features. It would never cease to amuse me how quick she was to pretend that she wasn’t happy to be around me. The mating bond may have been in place, but the stone cold fighter remained, even around me. There had been times I wished she would just let herself be with me, but I knew better than to force her to just relax.

No, I would never force her. She had to figure things for herself, including how she wanted to be around me in public and in private.

When I saw her arms wrap around her waist, though, I felt a tang of regret from asking my question. Of course she wasn’t ready. Too much loss had happened during the war, and my mate had lost her father. She lost her father, and yet we were about to have a celebration tonight for her sister. I swallowed my anger as I pulled her close to me, an arm looped around her shoulders while I used my wing to shield her. A weak shield considering all it had endured, but I had to hope that it would be enough to make her feel a little comfort. Then her head hit my shoulder, and I knew she was trying to relax some.

I drew in a deep breath before I spoke, worried that breaking the silence too soon would have her pulling away.

“You don’t have to speak to anyone,” I murmured. I stroked small circles in her back, feeling the tension relax slightly in the muscles. “If anyone gives you a hard time, you have every right to snap at them.” The image of my mate snapping at anybody at the party was enough to bring a smile to my face. Of course, she could hold her own. I pressed a light kiss to the top of her head. “Your sister is our High Lady, and you’re the one that killed that bastard King. If people say the wrong thing, maybe they’ll suffer at Rhys’s hand just for disturbing his court.” I felt her shift her head to look elsewhere, a small chuckle raising from me. I gave her shoulder a reassuring squeeze. “Find me tonight if you need an escape from all the people. I can fly you over to the townhouse so you don’t have to stay.”

Then, she lifted her head to look at me. I saw the brief love flicker in her eyes, my heart racing at the sight. Even if I saw it only in private quarters, the adoration that found her face was enough to make me weak in her presence. I could have sworn I saw mischief sparkle in her eyes as she shifted slightly away from me.

“You know, you can be sweet when you decide not to be insufferable all the time.”

I could hardly react with anything before the laugh hit me. Leave it to my mate to break the seriousness with a backhanded compliment. When the laughter subsided, I place a kiss between her brows, a smile broad on my lips. I caught sight of her lazy smile, a smile that said even the fiercest people could have fun, could love.

There lurked a gentle soul under the stone cold façade she held, and moments like this were what I treasured – when I got a glimpse at that soul. My lips found hers, soft with every movement against my own. I broke the kiss to smirk down at her.

“I don’t suppose my mate would care to go inside and help her sister instead of stay with her favorite person, would she?”

A piece of me knew the answer, but I wished that she would humor me enough to stay a little longer. Almost for emphasis on the question, I looped my other arm around her waist to pull her into my lap. The harmonious laugh that had been so rare since she broke her coldness following the war filled the air. It took every will in my being not to poke at her stature to gain more of the laugh.

Her hair created a curtain around my head, one that brought a wicked grin to my features. As instantly as the grin had appeared, it was kissed away by her lips finding mine. Eager, as if the brief kiss earlier had not been enough to satisfy her until later. I took the opportunity to hold her close, laying back into the grass.

Nesta pulled back immediately when I began to lean back, a brief panic in her eyes before her hands crashed on either side of my head. I placed my hands firmly on her hips, brow quirked to question her next move. When she shook her head, I knew I had been defeated, but I couldn’t bring myself to care since the image of her smile bore into my brain.

“Unfortunately for you, I believe my sister is waiting for me for last minute touches before everything is moved to the House of Wind.” She had stood up as she spoke, leaving me on the ground. The sun had created a halo around her head, bringing a smile to my face as I took in the image of my angel. My mate.

When she turned on her heel to head back inside, I broke the silence by whistling at her appearance. Nesta threw up a vulgar gesture in response and I nearly choked on the air as the laugh rippled through me.

* * *

 

I shuffled uncomfortably as the itchy fabric around my neck scraped while Feyre mumbled something about me holding still. Her hands fell to her side, examining every inch of my new attire before she grinned at the appearance. An Illyrian warrior turned porcelain doll by the way she had been making sure I was dressed in the exact way she had been told to.

“Do tell, my High Lady, why Rhys ever agreed to letting _you_ help me tonight?” 

“Because he knows better than to fight when I’m determined,” she responded. There was a snap to her voice, one that assured me it was best not to fight too much longer.

When she finished, she hurried me to the mirror near the armoire in the guest room. Despite the irritating itchiness near the collar, I had to admit that the chosen outfit was nice. I hardly traded my Illyrian leathers for anything outside of sleepwear, but the violet outfit certainly had its perks. The embroidery on the top had somehow been custom made to fit a similar pattern to the tattoos that laid beneath the surface on my chest. The swirls along the cuffs were made to perfectly match the swirls near my shoulders. The pants had been black, but the light would show a deep violet certainly laid among the black. 

I must have shown my admiration on the surface because Feyre was quick to say, “I knew you would like it.” I tried not to shoot her a look while the grin tugged. 

“Alright. You did well, Feyre.” I could have sworn I caught a glimpse of her sticking her tongue out at me in the reflection.

I turned away from the mirror, a brow raised at her. “Shouldn’t the Queen of all Evil be getting ready herself?” I chuckled when she slapped some wind into my arm at that. “It is your celebration after all.”

I watched as she rolled her eyes. “Cass, if you want me gone, you could just ask.” She bowed mockingly before she turned to exit the room. I shook my head at the remark, though pleased to see that her nerves had escaped momentarily. 

I waited a moment, then I crossed the room to exit myself. Although I was certain she had been readying herself for the party, I had wanted to find my mate, even if to just give my presence while she calmed. When I opened the door, though, I saw her standing before me, hand raised as if she was about to knock on the door. The hand slowly lowered to her side, and her gaze shifted away from me – anywhere but at me. 

I couldn’t peel my eyes from her. The hair that was usually worn freely down had been made into a loose braid that cascaded over her shoulder. A few pieces had been pulled forward and left out of the braid, only to take on their natural curl around her face. If there was ever a way for her to look more beautiful, it was certainly done.

My eyes slipped to the dress she wore. _Those sneaky bastards_. The violet dress had sheer sleeves with patterns of gold fabric on them, patterns that were intricately cared for to match the similar swirls of my own. I made a mental note to thank Rhys – or Feyre, that is – for the wonderful surprise. Just as I could have sworn they would be matching, they had sneakily made sure that I would match my mate tonight. Definitely a wonderful surprise.

My focus returned, and I curled a finger under her chin to raise Nesta’s chin to look at me. I saw the shyness in her eyes, another surprise to me. It seemed as though the night would be full of surprises of all sorts. I moved the finger so that I could caress her cheek, her hand reaching to lay over mine. The corner of my lip tugged upward.

“You look beautiful, Nes.”

 


	4. Elriel

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wished to include the wonderful pair sooner rather than later. This chapter is different from the rest, including a midway split where it will switch from Elain's perspective to Azriel's. I thought I should not this so the switch doesn't seem as weird.

The party was just moments from beginning when I had entered the downstairs of the house. My eyes lit up with excitement when I saw the hard work I had taken upon myself fall into place. Even with Feyre’s quiet mumbles of disagreement throughout the process, I was satisfied fully with the arrangement of the entire party setting. With a sigh, I fell into place near the door to welcome the guests in.

I had been about 10 guests in when I was reprieved from the station by Rhys. I attempted to argue with him that it had been his party, and he should enjoy it as such. I should have known he would have turned the statement around. “All the more reason that I should be the one greeting the guests as the host,” he had said gently. I glanced at the door once before I nodded. The time with the Night Court hadn’t been too extensive, but it was long enough to understand what battles to pick with the High Lord. I gave a smile, then I escaped into the party.

As more guests filed in, I made it an effort to speak to all of them, regardless if I was welcoming them at the front or not. Rhys and my sister may have been the true hosts, but I couldn’t dismiss the manners ingrained in my head. I wore a smile for most of the night, moving from one guest to the next. Although it was draining after a little while, the small compliments I picked up between conversations about the decorations of the party made it worth it.

Time went on, the citizens of Velaris and various High Lords seemingly enjoying the party. It hadn’t taken me long after becoming idle in conversations to let my mind drift to those in the Inner Circle, cataloging where each was.

Mor had found a place near the drinks, her hand shamelessly on a man’s arm while he looked at her full of lust. I could have sworn I saw her steal a glance at someone else just as the man had tried to kiss her. I chuckled silently to myself at the sight.

Cassian maintained a careful distance away from Nesta, his eyes wandering to her occasionally. She had taken a seat on a couch in the sitting room while guests moved about around her. I made a note in my head to join her shortly if Cassian hadn’t already. She was never one to enjoy the parties, and I felt a tinge of guilt over forcing her to come along tonight.

I noticed Feyre whispering jokes with Helion against a wall while guests paid them no attention. Ever since the war had ended, he appeared frequently to the Night Court to share the company with the two mates that held their thrones. It was almost annoying at times how frequently he visited, but it was nice to see Feyre so at ease with somebody other than the Inner Circle. She deserved it after our childhood, and I would never forget how kind he was to my sister and her mate. 

Rhys had remained by the door until the guests had mostly entered, then he had made his way to Feyre and his old friend. With everybody else spotted in the proximity, it only left…

Azriel. 

My brows bunched together as I scanned the room for the spymaster. I hadn’t seen him enter the party, let alone come downstairs from where I had seen him go with an hour until the event. With everybody else here, I would have expected him to join in. A sigh danced out of me, figuring he was off on some mission for Rhys.

I had barely taken a step in the path to my sister on the couch when I felt a hand on my back. I stiffened at the touch, but the soft laugh near my ear told me there was no cause for alarm. _Not on a mission, then_ , I thought as I turned to the figure that had appeared near me. A warm smile found my lips as I looked up at my friend.

“I don’t suppose you were looking for me?” Azriel’s voice held a far smoother tone than he held with the others. The way his voice came out had almost made it sound like honey took on a form. I beheld the slight smile that threatened to broaden on his lips as I shook my head. 

“I most certainly was, but I assumed you had used flying off as an excuse to avoid the party.” The admission sounded far more accusatory than I had expected, and I immediately opened my mouth to apologize. “I’m so-”

The Illyrian chuckled. “No need. I definitely would have if it weren’t a special night.”

I might have bounced on my toes in excitement, had it not been for him nodding forward to redirect my attention. When I looked over my shoulder, I saw that Feyre and Rhys had taken a step away from their friend to gain everybody’s focus as they stood on the steps. The sight of the pair together was one I had seen many times before, but their attires had shaped the image to be something far more elegant than it ever was.

Feyre stood with her hands folded in front of her, a sign of her stature as she gazed into the crowd. There was no way she could possibly look more royal while she stood next to Rhys. The pure white dress that graced her figure was loose enough to provide her comfort, but the silk material somehow still appeared very graceful. The silver crown on her head that matched one he wore as well was breathtaking, fitting her features perfectly. Nesta had once told me about how she was actually jealous of the jewelry our sister got to wore, but I never experience the envy until that moment.

In contrast to Feyre, though, Rhys wore a darker suit. It was similar to his typical attire, but it also held something special to it. It wasn’t until I squinted my eyes to confirm what I saw to realize how different it had been. Among the black fabric had been little speckles of light – literal light – to resemble stars. The pair together was breathtaking.

King of Night, and his Queen of Stars.

It was only when Azriel had whispered in my ear that I was brought away from the awe that I felt when I took in the pair I had seen daily together. 

“You did a lovely job, Elain.” I cocked my head to the side slightly to turn a bit towards him, though enough to still maintain my gaze on the stars of the evening. “The party looks incredible.”

A feeling of pride shot through me while a smile found me. Azriel had muttered in the shadows often about how he had hoped he could find a way out of the party. It was so indecisive whether he would come that I hadn’t been able to obtain a clear image of it, even if I tried my hardest to hone in on his future path. A piece of me was perhaps a little too satisfied that he had decided to come, even if it had been solely to watch the High Lord and Lady.

Before I could utter my thanks, the mates began to speak. I instead leaned back against the hand pressed to my back, a silent thank you. I promised in my head that I would make sure to tell him properly my thanks. For the time being, I used his closeness from whispering as an advantage, pressing a gentle kiss to his cheek. 

* * *

 

My attention had been difficult to pull away from the delicate brown-haired girl next to me, but I allowed my eyes to dart to the stairs after the kiss was pressed to my cheek. The pressure on the hand I had on her back assured me that she noted what I said, and it was hard not to allow the creeping smile to rise to the surface. A smile only for her, for the gardening seer at my side. Reluctantly, I tore my focus away to regain my composure, gaze focus on Rhys as he addressed the crowd.

“Thank you, everyone, for being able to make it tonight,” he said, his voice vacant of the joking manner he had taken with the Inner Circle earlier. He raised the drink in his hand towards me – no, towards his mate’s sister at my side. “A special thank you to the lovely Elain Archeron for her work in making this evening happen.”

Every head in the room turned towards Elain, and I made sure I slipped my hand behind my back to join the other before anybody so much as noticed it on her back. Her smile beamed with pride as she gave a small curtsy to the room. An unnecessary gesture, but one that she made to look like the most important thing she could do with everybody’s eyes trained on her. I swallowed down the lump in my throat that formed at the grace she carried in such a small movement. Fortunately, the High Lord began to speak again.

“Feyre darling, if you would so kindly do the honors.” He continued with his short speech, waving an arm out in front of him to gesture Feyre’s next movements. The brief narrow of her eyes confirmed she had shot some comment at him through their bond, though it seemed nobody else in the audience had noticed the small telltale of it.

Feyre descended the stairs, her arm looping around the one that Rhys had extended to her. As the two made their way to the center of the room, the band that had joined about an hour earlier raised their instruments to begin to play. The room cleared a space for them as they joined together to dance. My mind replayed Elain’s insisting that the pair took their first dance together, a human tradition that seemed frivolous to everybody but the Archeron sisters, though Feyre had tried to assure that it wasn’t necessary. Seeing the mates joined together to dance, I could see why Elain had been so persistent with the tradition. 

More people joined the couple, Cassian nearly having to force Nesta to join him. My eyes cast a glance over to Elain who had appeared more anxious to move than anybody else that had gone dancing to the rhythm. A small chuckle left me, which had gained me her focus as she looked at my curiously. In a short bow, I extended a hand to her.

“Would the seer do me the honors of joining me on the dance floor?”

The light that her eyes took on at the offer was enough to make my heart beat a little faster. I released a breath I didn’t know I was holding when she took the extended hand with a curtsy of her own. “It would be my pleasure.”

I nodded briefly, straightening to place my other hand on her waist. I often forgot how much taller Elain actually was, her small stature making her appear shorter than she really was. When my hand was able to comfortably sit on her side, I almost sighed in relief that I didn’t have to bend my back to make the reach. Instead, I brushed the thought aside the moment her hand rest on my shoulder.

Then, we danced.

I don’t know how long we danced, or how many people had stopped dancing. The gentle sway he had taken on had distracted me from the world, and Elain’s head resting against my chest forced me to focus solely on her. I willed my breathing to even out with her head on me, certain she could hear my heart pounding when she tilted her head upward to look at me.

My attention had just shifted to the room when I felt her hand on my cheek. The soft, unscathed hand. Years of gardening should have calloused the hand already, but there was no roughness to her touch. I leaned slightly into it, a small smile playing at the corners of my lips. 

When I looked down at her, I saw nothing but gentleness on her features. Where I had thought a smile would be, her mouth was completely relaxed. The only bit of emotion was in her eyes as she showed a glimmer of curiosity in them. A curiosity that burned into my very soul as she leaned up on her toes to press her lips into mine.

Shock coursed through every vein in my body as I felt the light, almost feather-like, pressure of her lips against mine. It was almost as if she was testing, testing to see if I would push her away. My mind drifted slightly to the audience we possibly had. An audience that would joke once the crowd had filed out about the encounter. In an instant, though, I made my decision.

The decision that I didn’t care what they said. 

I moved my hand from her waist to her lower back, pressing her closer to me. I leaned down to allow her to get off the tips of her toes. Our lips parted from one another briefly, but she remained close. An invitation for me to be the one to continue. An invitation that became blatant as her eyes flicked up to mine, a smile tugged at her lips. A smile that I quickly brushed away with my own, pressing my lips back to hers.

Her other hand escaped mine as she relaxed into the kiss, hands cupping my face. I let my hand find a place near the other on her back, holding her close to me as if she could easily be ripped away at any moment. As if this moment would end with me waking up with the early light of dawn awakening me.

However, the moment wasn’t broken by something that made me think it was anything but reality. No, the moment was broken by something far closer to reality. 

“Get your bat hands off my sister.”

Elain’s blush as she pulled away forced my own face to flush. I hardly look petrified around those in the Inner Circle, but I could have sworn there was nothing but terror as I looked at Nesta. Cassian’s face behind her was solely apologetic. He held up his hands in defense, mouthing a quick “sorry” to me.

Of course, there was nothing that read apologetic on the face of his mate standing now between me and her sister.


	5. Rhysand

Peace. It had felt like it had been just yesterday that the war ended, but Feyre’s smile pushed away the pain, if only for a moment. I leaned down to press a kiss to the top of her head, basking in the joy she radiated. Nightmares were likely to stir both of us in our sleep tonight, but at least the party was a distraction for the time being.

However, it seemed to be a distraction for our family as well. 

Despite my focus falling mostly to my mate near me, the sound of Nesta’s words that snapped at Azriel raced to me in a second. My eyes flicked over to where they stood, a brow quirked. I managed to catch the gaze of my cousin as she walked over, her head shaking slightly when she noticed my confusion.

_Rhys?_

I looked down at Feyre, her blue-gray eyes shining with understanding. We had realized almost at the same moment what would happen if we didn’t make our way to the others. I gave a slight nod.

_It seems your sister snapped finally. How much gold does that mean you owe me?_

Her eyes narrowed, a brief frown on her lips. _Prick_.

I dared to smile in response, breaking away from her. I glanced around to see if anybody had taken notice of the situation while she maneuvered her way through the crowd to the group. Fortunately, it seemed the wine had gotten everybody in too giddy a mood to deign to glance in the direction of the drama. I sighed in relief before I joined my mate in approaching the group.

“… we should just calm down.” Mor had finished speaking, standing at Azriel’s side as we approached. Once quick look at Nesta told me she had tried to object to Mor while she was talking, evident only by the fact that she took a step closer to her sister while her hands looked ready to throw a punch at the blonde at any moment. We must have joined them just in time, then.

“What’s going on?” My mate’s voice remained calm, but there was a gleam of amusement in her eyes when she looked to Azriel, flushed of all color. I withheld my smirk, though I made a note to talk to him in private later about the situation.

“Why don’t you ask your spymaster?” Nesta’s steel eyes cut straight to me – not her sister – while her hands fell on her hips. I could have sworn the anger that burned in her was almost as sharp as Armen’s on her best days.

I kept my composure in spite of the small shock at Nesta’s bite in her words. I looked to Azriel, a brow quirked. “Az…?” I barely got to finish the thought before another voice cut in. A smaller voice. 

“Nesta,” Elain spoke. I kept my eyes on the Illyrian, watching as some relief fell on his features at not having to answer the question. Through the bond, I could feel Feyre’s own relief when she saw him relax just a little. Her sister continued, her hand gentle on the eldest’s shoulder as she stepped around her. “It’s alright.” 

The older sister’s attention darted to her younger sister. There was a gentleness that found her features in place where the stone cold hardness had been just a moment ago. The effect Elain had on everybody in the Inner Circle ceased to amaze me, even now as Nesta looked ready to rip out Azriel’s throat if he so much as looked at her wrong. Still, it was impressive how quick Nesta’s mood shifted with her sister’s hand on her.

“He,” Elain’s head turned so she could look at Azriel, the faintest of smiles hiding just below the surface. I could have sworn there was a glimpse of adoration that sparkled in her eyes. “He did nothing wrong.” She looked back at Nesta with a soft smile. The smile that had us all wrapped around her finger.

 _Told you she could be persuasive_. Feyre’s thoughts intruded my own, and I smirked while casting my mate a sidelong glance.

 _It seems that it runs in the family_. My hand moved from behind my back to brush against hers. I suppressed the grin when she laced our fingers together and gave my hand a squeeze.

“That doesn’t excuse what he did.” Nesta had relaxed since her sister gained her attention, but I nearly groaned when she wouldn’t budge on the subject. I cleared my throat, the oldest facing me now. I gave her a smile and stepped closer to Azriel, afraid she might lunge for him at a moment’s notice. 

“Nesta, this is simply a misunderstanding.” I could feel everybody’s eyes on me then, some in disbelief that I had volunteered to step in against her. I gestured between the sister and the shadowsinger near me. “If they want to kiss, then who are we to question?” I shrugged, slipping my hand out of Feyre’s to put both in my pockets. “It seems that loving Illyrians just runs in the family.” Immediately after the words were said, I could feel Feyre’s judgment shooting through the bond. I didn’t dare acknowledge it, simply shooting a wink at her.

I should have known stating those words would bring her wrath upon me.

When the punch mad contact with my gut, I doubled over but didn’t fight it. I saw that she needed the release, especially when her sister had tried to defend the action when Nesta so clearly hated it. I did, however, dodge out of the way in time to not meet the receiving end of the other one. I backed up so contact wasn’t made, watching as Cassian’s arms wound around her. Strong as he was, it seemed not even he could hold her back in that moment. She kicked her legs to try to escape, her fingers trying to claw his arms off of her. I likely would have found it amusing in any other setting.

Instead, we all just stood around until she calmed. Some guests had stepped near to wish their goodbyes, and I would move away from the scene to greet them as they left. However, it seemed that Nesta wouldn’t tire any moment soon. I sighed when she finally relaxed in Cassian’s arm. Anger still was ablaze in her eyes, but she did not appear to be nearly as brutal as she was the moment she swung at me. Her eyes drifted to Azriel, her finger raised to point directly at him.

“Don’t you dare hurt her,” she growled. A shiver shot down my spine, and I could feel my mate’s own fear at what she might do if anything did happen. With the warning spat at the male by Elain’s side, she allowed herself to be escorted out. Cassian was careful with how much he touched her, only deigning to put a hand on her back as the pair left the room and went upstairs.

My eyes fell on Elain and Azriel once the mates had left, a brow quirked. I smirked once again, my arm resting around my mate’s waist. “It seems Elain shall have double dates to plan in the future.” I watched the blush rush to Azriel’s cheek, Mor’s rolled eyes, and Elain’s excitement filling her features. I chuckled and nodded at the three of them. “I believe there’s still some party to enjoy left. Don’t let it waste away.” 

* * *

 

An hour had passed since the party ended. Elain insisted that she didn’t need help tidying up, even if Mor had stayed behind anyway to help her. Most everybody had retired to their respective guest room, too tired to travel back to the townhouse, except Feyre. I knit my brows together when I didn’t find my mate in our room, my mind searching out for where the bond would lead me. The sight of the stars that was undoubtedly sent to me through her vision was answer enough. 

I wandered to the balcony of the house, my hands tucked behind me when I saw her. My mate. She stood with her hands on the balcony, staring upward at the stars that barely came close to the beauty she had. I leaned against the doorframe, hands maneuvered to my pockets as I stared at her, a lazy smile on my lips. 

“You’re not very sneaky,” she murmured, eyes remaining on the sparkles in the sky above her. 

“Around you? I would never try to be.” I pushed off of the doorframe, looking up at the patch of sky she was focused on. I slipped my hands next to hers on the balcony so I stood behind her, head ducked to press a light kiss on the patch of skin near her shoulder that the dress left bare. “What are you thinking about?”

Feyre’s amusement shot over the bond and I couldn’t help the chuckle that escaped me. _Like you don’t already know._

I shrugged, turning my head to look at her. _Humor me, Feyre darling_.

She rolled her eyes, but the smile that played at the corner of her lips admitted defeat. A hum came from the back of her throat while she leaned back against me a bit. I moved one hand from the balcony to rest on her waist, my arm snaked around her. _Play nice_ , I warned her, my mouth nipping at the bare patch for emphasis.

A laugh rolled past her lips and she shook her head. “I’m thinking about our future,” she murmured after a moment of silence passed between us. I rubbed my thumb against her dress, chin resting on her shoulder. “About how we almost lost it.”

My thumb stopped and I straightened behind her. My arm that was snaked around her gently turned her toward me. I caught sight of her eyes, the watery overcast to them nearly tearing me apart. I raised the hand that had remained on the balcony to rest against her cheek just as one of the tears betrayed her. I shook my head, brushing it away with a finger.

“Unfortunately, it seems you have to deal with me for eternity.” The glare I received brought a smile to my face. I cupped her face in my hands, pressing a kiss between her brows. “You saved me, my love. There is nothing that could ever be done to show how grateful I am.” I pulled back, eyes locked with her. “Mother above, I certainly don’t deserve you as my mate.”

Feyre’s eyes hardened with emotion and she shook her head. I could have sworn the same fierceness that her sister often wore ran in their family the moment I saw that flash come over her features. She placed her hands over mine and removed them from her face, lowering them down between us. My brows furrowed when she gave my hands a squeeze.

“We have eternity together, Rhys.” Her voice held determination that I only heard among the group when she was certain with what she had been suggesting. The confusion must have become more evident on her face because she chuckled lightly. “If I have to hear for the rest of my life that you don’t deserve you, I might just have to kill you myself.” 

Laughter cleared away my confusion in an instant after she spoke. I dipped my head, capturing her lips in a soft kiss. When I pulled back, a grin laid in place on my lips. “I love you, Feyre.”

Her head lifted to press a kiss just below my chin the same moment a shadow formed around us. When I glanced around again, we had been moved from the balcony to our bedroom, a movement she had taken upon herself. I smirked down at my mate as she locked her hands behind my neck.

“I love you, too.”


	6. Nesta

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I apologize in advance for the poor writing of this scene. I felt like Nesta needed a release after Elzriel/Azlain (what is their ship name?). Anyway, here's Cassian trying to comfort her only to turn it into sex because he knows she needs to redirect her anger into something else.

Sleep refused to find me after the party. I slammed my fists into the sheets beside me, glaring up at the ceiling above my bed. The anger that had boiled in me at the party was hard to swallow down, even after the hours that passed by. The sight flashed back into my mind of my sister wrapped up in Azriel’s arms and my arms flung over my face while a groan sounded in the back of my throat. 

The knock on my door drew me from my thoughts, confusion temporarily in place of the anger. I threw the blanket from my body. I had only taken a few steps from the bed to the door when I remembered how exposed the sleepwear had been. My eyes darted quickly around the room for where I had disposed my robe, a wave of relief falling over me. I took the stride to the chair near the large window where it laid, slipping it around me as soon as I had my hand on it.

When I finally made it to the door, I opened it slowly. My eyes were narrowed to adjust to the dark of the hallway compared to the semi-lit room. Even with the dark enveloped around him, I still recognized Cassian immediately. I held a hand on the collar of the robe, pulling it tighter across my chest with the movement. 

“You’re upset.” The words that came from my mate were a statement, not deigning to ask me instead.

I couldn’t form an answer before he stepped into my room. I kept my eyes on him and he maneuvered around me, careful not to let his wings hit me. I watched as the most broken piece of him caught the moonlight that trickled into my room, making them nearly as beautiful at night as they were during the day. I rolled my eyes that I allowed myself to admire such an odd piece of him. Once he was in, I closed the door.

When I turned back to face the room, his hand was trailing on the iron of the bed frame’s post. My brows knitted together when his attention turned to me before he sat on the space where I had escaped from the sheets to let him in. One of his hands lightly tapped on the space next to him, the smirk on his face a mirror of the thoughts I was certain danced through his head. I scoffed at the motion, allowing my feet to carry me over to him nevertheless.

I settled on the bed next to him, the fluff of the bed stiffer under me than it had been due to how it formed around his weight over mine. The smirk faded to a smile, his hand that invited me over finding mine. I didn’t dare try to feign discomfort at the gesture.

“He shouldn’t have kissed her.” My words were barely a whisper, eyes focused on the wooden floor. 

Next to me, Cassian sighed. I turned my head to look at him. There was something that gleamed in his eyes that looked to be a mix of understanding and indifference as if he was trying to pick which side he wished to play on. Guilt bubbled in my stomach when the realization hit me at the battle I was asking him to fight. I immediately shook my head and pulled my hand away.

I shifted on the bed, moving so my back was pressed against the pillows near the headboard. I folded my hands in my lap, legs outstretched in front of me. I had tried to calm my thoughts, focusing on the bed’s sinking and rising as he moved up next to me. The blanket covered my legs when my mate settled next to me. As if it was second nature, I leaned forward to let his arm slip around me, curling into his side while his wing stretch behind me, his arm a barrier between me and the membrane.

“You have eternity to hate Azriel.” I shuddered at the reminder of how long it would be dealing with this. “For now, you have far more important things to focus on.” He shifted his head so he could look down at me, the wicked glimmer in his eye. The same glimmer that appeared whenever he knew whatever he was about to do would bring a fight in me. “If I remember correctly, you –” He tapped the tip of my nose and I winced away. “– have your own Illyrian to entertain.”

His words had been spoken in a serious manner, but nothing on his expression had read to be serious. I narrowed my eyes, only to widen them when he moved us. The arm around me braced my torso against him while he drew his wing out from behind me in order to place me down. The arm that had not been around me fell next to my head to prop him up. The lopsided grin found his face while he stared down at me, hazel eyes ablaze with mischief.

“Cass!” I had tried to will the word into a hiss, an effort that proved to no avail. To compensate, I glared up at him. Unfortunately, the act only gained me a laugh from my mate. 

“You need to relax, Nes.”

I opened my mouth to protest, cut off when his lips found my neck. The protest bubbled at the tip of my tongue, but my body betrayed me and rolled my head to one side to give him better access to the sensitive skin. I felt his warm breath against my skin when he chuckled and a shiver shot down my spine. I knew I should have pushed him off, knew that it was not the time to indulge in this. However, the logic side lost to the animalistic side, the side that awoke too often just being around him since the bond clicked.

My fingers slipped into his hair and pulled him away from my neck. Mischief had washed away from his eyes, though the flames remained. Instead of mischief, the flames were fueled by something much wilder. The sarcastic Illyrian that joked just hours ago with others at the party was gone, replaced by somebody far more desirable. The warrior had been replaced with my mate. 

My mate.

Our lips met almost immediately after I tugged his face closer to mine. The passion of the kiss sent heat to my core and I nipped at his bottom lip, my silent plea for more than just this. The hand that had been near my head slipped away when he understood, the calloused hand reaching between us to untie the string that held my robe closed. As soon as he got it undone, in spite of some struggle, his hand forced my slip up so he could lay his hand on my bare stomach.

I broke the kiss when I needed a moment of air. I leaned up to press my lips just under his jaw before I laid kisses along his neck. I had distracted myself with where he placed his hand, paying careful attention to the feather lightness of his fingers against my skin. His other arm slipped from under me so that hand could join the exploration of my body. When one of them dipped lower to between my legs, I bit down on the skin that I had a moment ago pressed a kiss to. 

“Oh really?” Cassian’s gentle voice held a different tone. My toes curled at how he managed to sound playful and sexy in the same two words. He pulled away from my lips to catch my gaze, a brow quirked.

I simply answered with a smirk, my hands moving to rest just below the hem of the shirt he wore. I feigned an innocent hum, fingers trailing along the definition of the muscles closest to his pants. I registered the growl that came from how in his throat, but I didn’t dare let him know I acknowledge it. Two could play the tease game.

Or perhaps just one could.

Cassian pushed my slip up further. Not enough to be off, but enough to expose my stomach to him. He moved away from me, his light kisses on every surface he could reach shooting bolt after bolt of warm through me. He hesitated while he moved down to paid attention to each breast. Every bit of attention he paid to my chest was carefully done as an obvious tease while his fingers pinched my nipples between them and twisted gently. He dragged a moan from me with the movement before I shot him a glare for being able to do so.

Still, he continued. He kissed his way down my stomach, pausing just above the hem of my undergarments. The smirk found him then, and I sucked in a breath when the hazel eyes flicked up to me. My mate dipped his head, lips pressing a kiss to the peak of my legs through the cloth. I shivered at the motion and bit down on my bottom lip to keep from begging him to stop teasing.

“I told you that you needed to relax.”


End file.
